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(11) | EP 0 307 072 A3 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Vessel for a magnetic resonance imaging magnet system |
| (57) This disclosure relates to a magnet system for use in magnetic resonance imaging.
The system includes a vacuum vessel (18) having a first wall assembly (80) defining
a bore (23) for receiving the subject of the imaging and a pair of spaced metallic
end plates (24, 26) welded to the ends of the first wall assembly. The system further
includes a cryogneic containment vessel (30) supported within the vacuum vessel and
a coil (34) disposed within the containment vessel for providing the magnetic field.
The first wall assembly (80) includes a weldable metallic cylindrical shell (82) positioned
intermediate the end plates and having a thickness insufficient without reinforcement
to provide structural integrity during operation of the vacuum vessel. This first
wall assembly further includes a reinforcement layer (84) of a non-metallic material
disposed about the metallic shell (82) so that signals provided by gradient coils
(48) disposed inside the bore can more quickly penetrate the first wall assembly (80)
than if the metallic shell (82) had sufficient thickness, without reinforcement to
provide the necessary structural integrity. |